Chapter 150 - Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Their one divine sword could split the sky and eclipse the rest of the other swords in the world.

The Heaven Sword Sect was highly renowned on the continent. It was one of the heavyweights among the second echelon of sects, only inferior to the top nine Holy Clans. Having been founded a long time ago, it had notable attainments in the field of martial arts, especially the swordsmanship. It could be said that the Heaven Sword Sect was one of the most remarkable sects on the continent, a quite large sect of swordsmen.

The Heaven Sword Martial Club was an affiliated agency of the Heaven Sword Sect. Its founder, the Heaven-Sword Celestial Being, was from the Heaven Sword Sect. Its unparalleled secret skill—the Heaven-sword Sixteen Styles—was also evolved from the sword art of the Heaven Sword Sect. Rumor had it that back then the Heaven-Sword Celestial Being had entered the Great Master Realm, and he could activate his sword with one breath of his internal qi and easily take back the head of the opponent from ten thousand meters away as if he was picking his own pocket.

Among the Heaven-sword Sixteen Styles, there was one called the Swording-commanding Style, which was a wonderous technique of controlling the sword with one’s internal qi.

Since decades ago when Zhang Chengfeng, the Heaven-breaking Legend Sword, took over the Heaven Sword Martial Club from the retired Heaven-Sword Celestial Being, no one had obtained the same profound proficiency in the Swording-commanding Style as the Heaven-Sword Celestial Being did. After all, Zhang Chengfeng was not in the Great Master Realm.

Nevertheless, he used his quick wits to blaze another way. Based on the Swording-commanding Style, he developed a brand new sword-commanding skill that was famous in the entire city of Chang’an.

He named it the Sword-commanding Technique.

Although the Sword-commanding Technique just changed one word of the Swording-commanding Style, its essence was quite different.

The Swording-commanding Style was a skill of controlling the sword with internal qi.

While the Swording-commanding Technique was a trick of controlling a string on the sword with one’s internal qi.

Frankly, the latter only required the owner of the sword to attach a string as thin as a cocoon fiber and then rein the sword through controlling the string with his internal qi. This little change allowed the cultivators in Master Realm or only at the peak of the Joint-thoughts level to indirectly obtain full control over their swords without the need of touching.

This new technique could be quite intimidating if it was utilized to the fullest. Now, it was already a signature of the Heaven Sword Martial Club.

According to legends, when Zhang Chengfeng, who was known as the Heaven-breaking Legend Sword, executed the Sword-commanding Technique, he could control twenty flying swords at the same time. His swords would form a defensive area with a circumference of five kilometers and crush any opponent within, which was extremely frightening.

And some experts of the Heaven Sword Martial Club who were in the Master Realm could also manipulate the flying swords to destroy anything with several kilometers.

At this moment, a bright jet of sword light broke the serenity in the Pig-Herding Alley. Like a fired arrow, it shot through the alley that was several hundred meters long and arrived at the front door of the yard named The Shack in the blink of an eye. That was exactly the aura of the Sword-commanding Technique of the Heaven Sword Sect.

A crimson sword that was around half a meter long, thin as fish intestines, and extremely exquisite, was flying in the air. It halted when it was less than a meter away from The Shack, buzzing menacingly.

The abrupt change gave quite a turn to Zhou Dedao by the wall of green bamboos, whose mouth parched and tongue scorched due to all the yelling and pleading. He jumped at once to stay away from the sword.

The servants from the Zhou family also hurriedly moved the carriages sidelines.

The owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club and the Marvelous Mathematician looked shocked as well, and they even forgot to eat their melon seeds.

“Heaven-Sword Celestial Master, the first owner of the Heaven Sword Martial Club, challenges Li Mu, the Great Master. In three days, at the drill ground of the Heaven Sword Martial Club, we shall have a battle of life and death. Great Master Li Mu, please accept my challenge.”

A booming, arrogant voice spread out from that crimson sword as thin as fish intestines.

Like a clap of thunder, it reverberated through the Pig-Herding Alley and could be heard clearly even five blocks away.

“Sending a voice message through the sword?”

“Which expert of the Heaven Sword Martial Club has reached that level?”

“Only a Great Master can do it, can’t he?”

The Marvelous Mathematician looked astounded.

By contrast, the owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club only showed her surprise for a fraction of a second, which was soon replaced by strong contempt. She spat, “Mystifying things on purpose. I almost believed it was the Heaven-Sword Celestial Being who sent the message. Turns out that it’s just a little martial arts master.”

In fact, on the handle of the crimson sword that was suspending in the air attached a fine string which was as thin as a fish wire. It could hardly be captured with bare eyes if without careful observation. Obviously, certain whiz in using internal qi had injected his internal qi into the fish wire to control the fine crimson sword with the almost invisible string. The voice was actually produced through the vibration of the string. It was a clever imitation of a Great Master’s way of sending his voice to places thousands of miles away, but it was not the real thing.

It was, in truth, the Sword-commanding Technique.

“But did he just mention the Heaven-Sword Celestial Master? Isn’t that the Heaven-Sword Celestial Being?”

“That old man is still alive?”

“Didn’t he die forty years ago when he went in the wrong way during practice?”

“But he is still alive?”

“Am I fooled by fake news?”

“Recently the Heaven Sword Martial Club has taken a hard beating in the fight against the young Great Master, Li Mu. Their leader, Zhang Chuixue, got his head ripped off straightaway. So, that miserable lose has forced the old freak who feigned his death to come out again?”

Shaking off the shells of the seeds, the owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club and the Marvelous Mathematician stood up, their eyes exuding astonishment and a trace of undisguised excitement.

It was a shocking piece of news.

The Heaven-Sword Celestial Being throwing down the gauntlet to a young Great Master was absolutely an eye-catching event. It would certainly cause a sensation in the martial arts circle in Chang’an. The former was a senior big-shot in martial arts who was utterly invincible; the latter was a young talent who made his name overnight. What would the duel between the old and the young turn out to be?

“Great! There is more drama to watch!”

The two wished they could fetch a stool and a watermelon to enjoy the show immediately.

The biggest hobby of those from the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club was watching the fun on the streets, regardless of the severity of the trouble.

However, no one in The Shack gave any reply to the challenge message of the Heaven Sword Martial Club.

Moments later, the crimson sword started vibrating as the loud and haughty voice sounded again. “What’s the matter? Is Great Master, Li Mu, scared?”

No response as before.

“The battle will not end until one of us is killed. If Great Master Li Mu is afraid of accepting my challenge, you may go to our Heaven Sword Martial Club with a rod carried on your back and apologize to us.”

But there were still no answers.

“Turns out that the legendary young Great Master is a coward.”

The yard was still perfectly quiet.

Watching the scene by the side, Zhou Dedao from the Dafeng Chamber of Commerce suddenly felt less chagrined for no reason.

“Will you accept my challenge or not? Please give me a word now.”

Half an hour later.

Finally, a voice fluttered out from the yard of The Shack.

“Fuck, you’re annoying… Heaven-Sword Celestial Master? Who is it? Never heard of it! Want to fight against me? Why is he qualified for that?”

Undoubtedly, the young man speaking was the adolescent Great Master, Li Mu. Today, he would definitely be in the limelight again.

The owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club exchanged a look with the Marvelous Mathematician. Both of them found that the other’s eyes were revealing awed amazement.

“How come the young Great Master’s voice sounds sluggish. Not like a cool and lofty Great Master at all. Instead, he sounds like a dabbler of martial arts who picks up fights on streets. But his tone and his gesture… er, sounds quite familiar,” mused the two.

“The Heaven-Sword Celestial Master is a prestigious senior in the Great Master Realm. He throwing down the gauntlet to you is a great honor to you…” The thunderous but proud voice was heard from that crimson sword once more.

However, the voice stopped before the sentence was finished.

Because a figure had darted out from The Shack and made a grab at the sword as swiftly as a ghost. Instantly, the fine fish wire fastened on the sword handle snapped. Then, the figure leaped up and returned to the yard in a flash.

“This sword seems great. I’ll take it. And that… Right, that Heaven-Sword something wants to fight me? He should first offer me some treasures. My time is pretty precious. I’m too busy to combat with an old guy who came to me out of the blue. If I accidentally get him maimed or killed, people will blame me for maltreating my guests…”

The young man’s voice, still full of laziness, came out of The Shack.

“You…” The broken string was still floating in the air. It stretched to an unknown place out of the Pig-Herding Alley. As it quivered slightly, air also vibrated and produced waves of sound. A fretted voice then sounded, “Mr. Li, what you did is not void of manners. Hand back my sword. You…”

Clearly, the messenger from the Heaven Sword Martial Club was burned up at Li Mu.

However, the yard of The Shack replied with silence again.

“Li, you’re behaving like a robber. What are you doing here? It’s shameless…” That messenger could not help but begin to swear through the string.

“Do you really think I’m too kind to kill?” The young man’s voice finally sounded from the yard.

The swear words stopped abruptly.

Indeed, no one dared to face the killing intent of a superb expert in the Great Master Realm.

“I’ll take this sword as the interest you pay for taking up my time. Though your Heaven Sword Martial Club hopes to win back your dignity, that depends on whether I am willing to give you the opportunity. You go back and tell the Heaven-Sword Celestial Master that it’s fine to challenge me, but he must bring me some appealing stakes to lure me out. Otherwise, I don’t have time for his game. Screw off.”

Li Mu’s voice sounded steady.

His voice contained great majesty. The instant it faded, the string that had been floating in the air suddenly burst open from the end with a bang. And then, a shot of purple lightning clung onto the end and crept along the string to a place about four thousand meters away in the northeast outside the Pig-Herding Alley. Shortly, a cry of terror was heard, which then turned into agonized whines.

The owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club and the Marvelous Mathematician also sensed the power of the lightning. It followed the string all the way out until it reached the expert of the Heaven Sword Martial Club who was manipulating the string in dark and gave him a heavy blow.

“Bravo!”

“This young Great Master does live up to his fame!”

“It is said that this young Great Master successfully summoned a sea of purple thunder and lightning at the Zhou Mansion, as though he were the God of Thunder. Seems that it is true. Just now, his reverse injection of lightning power is already comparable to the magic of a six-star warlock.”

At this moment, Li Mu spoke again in the yard of The Shack.

“Zhou Dedao, do you want to save your son?”

The president of the Dafeng Chamber of Commerce, who had been waiting by the side as if with a thousand ants in his pants, immediately scurried to the door and answered in a loud voice, “Yes, yes, yes. Mr. Li, please show some mercy and leave my son unhurt. Henceforth, I’ll discipline him strictly and make him mend his ways…”

But Li Mu’s voice ruthlessly cut him off. “Whether he will amend his ways or not is your business, not mine. If he doesn’t, somebody else will teach him a lesson in the future. You must be well aware of what your son had done in Chang’an for all these years. And the Dafeng Chamber of Commerce is not a good agency that keeps its words. Let’s say, you go back and prepare a million pounds of gold to send to me. Then, I’ll lift the spell in Zhou Yu and let him be alive.”

“What?” Zhou Dedao’s mind went blank.

“A million pounds of gold?”

That was nearly half of the wealth the Dafeng Chamber of Commerce owned.

“Wow, he is a really brutal guy!”

Watching the drama by the side, the owner of the Xiongfeng Martial Art Club and the Marvelous Mathematician both rounded their eyes with surprise.